This patent includes a microfiche appendix containing three microfiche having 175 frames. The microfiche is intended to be a part of the written description pursuant to 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7112. This patent also includes a source code listing located in the attached Source Code Appendix which is not intended to be printed comprising 88 printout pages.
This invention relates generally to radiant energy heating systems and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for controlling a radiant energy heating system.
Radiant heat is the most effective way of providing comfortable environmental conditions in large open spaces. Radiant energy operates like light, traveling in straight lines and can be directed to specific individuals and areas, which require heating. Comfort levels are created when the radiant energy is absorbed by the floor, plant and machinery, and lower walls without losing energy to the air space between.
The objects that have absorbed the radiant energy in turn release heat to the air and act as low power radiators. In this way, all usable energy is absorbed and utilized in the occupied zone (the lower two meters) and not in the entire structure and roof space. Comfort conditions are achieved using lower air temperatures and, as a result, lower heat losses with a subsequently lower fuel bill.
Roberts-Gordon, a company in Buffalo, N.Y., was a pioneer in the low-intensity infrared heating industry with the introduction of its Co-Ray-Vac(copyright) heating system in 1963. Co-Ray-Vac uses less fuel than other heating systems because it heats a building and the people inside in the same manner as the sun heats the earth. The sun does not heat the earth""s atmosphere directly; rather, its infrared rays strike the earth, people and objects. These, in turn, act as heat reservoirs and release heat into the atmosphere by convection to raise the ambient temperature. A good example of this is how a concrete sidewalk will continue to release heat even after the sun has set. Similarly, a Co-Ray-Vac system spreads a gentle blanket of low intensity infrared energy that warms the people, floor and objects in a building directly. These also act as heat reservoirs and raise the room temperature through convection. Consequently, Co-Ray Vac offers many benefits that result in improved comfort conditions and greater fuel cost savings. Since the air is heated indirectly, there is less stratification (warm air rising to the ceiling) and less fuel needed to maintain warmth at floor level.
A Co-Ray Vac system comprises a plurality of burners arranged to fire one after the other in series down the same length of tube. In a preferred embodiment, typical tubing comprises 4xe2x80x3 O.D., 16 gauge tubing. The heat created by the burners is drawn through the tubes, which radiate the warm, gentle, infrared energy. The tubing may be made of cold rolled steel, aluminized steel and single or double porcelain-coated. A vacuum pump is used to draw the heat throughout the entire system. In addition, it completely exhausts all products of combustion to the outdoors at temperatures typically below 50xc2x0 F. Arranged about the tubing are specially designed deep-dish aluminum reflectors, which are angled to maximize reflection of the energy emitted by the radiant tube. This ensures that virtually all of the radiant heat is beamed toward the floor, where it is needed.
Although a multiple-burner Co-Ray-Vac system may be suitable for some applications or to heat certain zones within a facility, it may be appropriate to heat other zones using a different type of radiant energy system. For example, Roberts-Gordon also manufactures unitary systems (sold under the trademarks Vantage(copyright) II, Vantage(copyright)HE, GordonRay(copyright)BH, Caribe(copyright), Blackheat(copyright) U-Tube, Blackheat(copyright) Linear, Blackheat(copyright) Double Linear, for example) which have a single burner, which are suitable for heating smaller or hard-to-reach areas. Another alternative is a dual-firing rate system, such as Roberts-Gordon""s GordonRay(copyright)DF and Blackheat(copyright) Hi-Lo system.
Regardless of the type or number of systems employed in heating a facility, it is desirable to control the system, and sub-systems, preferably from a remote location. To accomplish this control, it is necessary to measure certain parameters, such as ambient temperature, pressure within the radiating tubes, etc., and then process these inputs to control the various systems to achieve an optimum balance between air temperature in a zone and mean radiant temperature to maintain a comfortable environment. The problem is compounded when several zones in a facility are heated by different radiant energy heating systems. Although solid state electronic control panels now exist for controlling individual subsystems, heretofore a single panel could not control different types of subsystems, and no PC-based system existed for controlling a plurality of panels.
What is needed, then, is a system designed for the most efficient control of multiburner, unitary burner and dual firing rate burner sub-systems in a general system of radiant energy heating.
The present invention provides a control system comprising a solid state electronic control panel pre-programmed to control two or more different types of radiant heating sub-systems, wherein the control panel controls one or more of the types of the sub-systems. The invention includes both a method of controlling one or more of the radiant heating sub-systems and an apparatus for implementing the method.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for controlling one or more types of radiant heating sub-systems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for controlling one or more types of radiant heating sub-systems which includes a programmable electronic control panel and a computer program for controlling one of more control panels from a central personal computer.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in view of the attached drawings, microfiche appendix and appended claims.